Dunmanifestin
April 1, 2020 9:59 AM Subscribe
What do the names of British houses mean? [slNYer]
I am fondly reminded of an old Cath Jackson cartoon strip, featuring an elderly lesbian couple whose house name plaque reads “Radclyffe Hall”.
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 10:57 AM on April 1, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 10:57 AM on April 1, 2020 [8 favorites]
Interesting looking book linked from the article, but it's not out until July.
posted by mdoar at 10:58 AM on April 1, 2020
posted by mdoar at 10:58 AM on April 1, 2020
So my parents’ neighbours (an older lesbian couple) renamed their house ‘Otters Pocket’ when they moved in. My mother once innocently asked them what it meant and they replied something hand wavy like that they ‘just thought it was a nice name’. Fast forward a few years and my mum was enlightened by a gardener about the saying ‘Wetter than an.....’ I thought that was a nice bit of subtle signalling
posted by atlantica at 11:23 AM on April 1, 2020 [21 favorites]
posted by atlantica at 11:23 AM on April 1, 2020 [21 favorites]
The house I lived in as a tiny Stencil was bought from the builders by my parents, so they got to name it. Our neighbours had the same option. Ours was called Seal Chart, next door uphill was Cat Nap and downhill was Beggar's Roost. This all seemed very normal at the time.
We then moved to an older property called Stonehouse, because it was a house, and made of stone. The other thing of note is that none of these houses had numbers, only names. Again, this seemed normal at the time. It's a class thing, but a lot of people I knew growing up lived in houses that had names, not numbers. Now I don't know anyone who lives in a named house.
posted by YoungStencil at 11:24 AM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
We then moved to an older property called Stonehouse, because it was a house, and made of stone. The other thing of note is that none of these houses had numbers, only names. Again, this seemed normal at the time. It's a class thing, but a lot of people I knew growing up lived in houses that had names, not numbers. Now I don't know anyone who lives in a named house.
posted by YoungStencil at 11:24 AM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
It might be a class thing in contemporary England but house or farm names used to just be your address and they didn't change with ownership all over Europe. I grew up in a house like this, on a nameless road with no postal code or house number. The house name was the only way to send us a letter. As each country adopted a more formal postal system some dropped the names from the formal address and people started changing the names maybe they became trendy and twee in England but who cares if it makes the owners happy? Other places, like France, if the house has a name it is still an official part of the address so it must be approved by the local council so more formal and less likely to change on a whim.
Btw, there is at least one 6th century fort in Ireland called, basically, the sunny side of the rock. It's an ancient name.
posted by fshgrl at 11:44 AM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
Btw, there is at least one 6th century fort in Ireland called, basically, the sunny side of the rock. It's an ancient name.
posted by fshgrl at 11:44 AM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
I tried to get my husband to call our first house in Santa Monica "Tenview" because we had a really nice stretch of that highway visible from our back porch. He was not on board, alas. Maybe I should have proposed "Tráfico Vista", more of a local flavor?
posted by potrzebie at 12:24 PM on April 1, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 12:24 PM on April 1, 2020 [11 favorites]
The name of this post is literally the best thing that has happened to me all day today.
posted by selfmedicating at 12:26 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by selfmedicating at 12:26 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
I always figured that the British named their houses the way that Americans name their boats: some have actual personal meaning, some of them are just cutesy, and quite a lot signify nothing grander or more important than "look at me I have a fuckton of money."
Also, what does "T-H-fronter" WRT the bit about Shakespeare's pronunciation of words mean--is it a class thing? (Always a safe bet regarding Old Blighty, but I thought I'd check.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:34 PM on April 1, 2020
Also, what does "T-H-fronter" WRT the bit about Shakespeare's pronunciation of words mean--is it a class thing? (Always a safe bet regarding Old Blighty, but I thought I'd check.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:34 PM on April 1, 2020
The class nuances, and the fact that the names were once the actual postal addresses, are fascinating! I'd wondered about some of the names in literature, and remember being delighted in cottage country north of Toronto as a kid that so many of the cottages had fun names. I was a little sad that ours couldn't a "Dunroamin'" or an "On the Rocks", and guess there was a class-consciousness in that choice by my folks.
There's an apartment building near us in Cambridge, MA, with the name "Dunvegan" in the stonework up high. We always imagine it as built by someone who couldn't go without cheese any more.
posted by ldthomps at 12:45 PM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
There's an apartment building near us in Cambridge, MA, with the name "Dunvegan" in the stonework up high. We always imagine it as built by someone who couldn't go without cheese any more.
posted by ldthomps at 12:45 PM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Also, what does "T-H-fronter" WRT the bit about Shakespeare's pronunciation of words mean--is it a class thing? (Always a safe bet regarding Old Blighty, but I thought I'd check.)
Th-fronting:
Th-fronting:
Th-fronting is a prominent feature of several dialects of English, notably Cockney, Essex dialect, Estuary English, some West Country and Yorkshire dialects, African American Vernacular English, and Liberian English, as well as in many non-native English speakersposted by jedicus at 12:56 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
...
Although th-fronting is found occasionally in the middle and upper (middle) class English accents as well, there is still a marked social difference between working and middle class speakers.
Do a "th" as in "mother" and then do a "v" and you can feel that the point at which the air constricts to make the sound moves forward. I've assumed that's why it's referred to as "fronting," though I defer to any linguist to correct me.
posted by praemunire at 12:58 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 12:58 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also, what does "T-H-fronter" WRT the bit about Shakespeare's pronunciation of words mean--is it a class thing? (Always a safe bet regarding Old Blighty, but I thought I'd check.)
I think she is saying that it was difficult to make an argument in the modern era that Shakespeare had the pronunciation for that syllable as 'f' rather than 'th' as the 'f' pronunciation is now associated with lower class speech patterns.
I got about 1.5 paragraphs in when I realised I was going to have to buy this book. Went to amazon to find its £65 and now am going to have to put it on the library budget and hope no-one notices.
posted by biffa at 12:58 PM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
I think she is saying that it was difficult to make an argument in the modern era that Shakespeare had the pronunciation for that syllable as 'f' rather than 'th' as the 'f' pronunciation is now associated with lower class speech patterns.
I got about 1.5 paragraphs in when I realised I was going to have to buy this book. Went to amazon to find its £65 and now am going to have to put it on the library budget and hope no-one notices.
posted by biffa at 12:58 PM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
There was a period in my 20s when I and many of my friends shared apartments as roommates. We would have parties, and in a fit of pretentiousness, would give our apartments names like "The House of Blondage" or "Pi(e)haus" so we could send each other email invites like "The Embassy of Kanadia invites you to our 3rd annual Canadian Thanksgiving In Exile", etc. It was fun for a while, but took an additional level of substance as roommates moved out, others moved in and apartments took on this sort of presence that transcended its residents. "Non-Sequitur Theater" was no longer "Matt, Jen, and Katie's apartment" because none of them lived there, but as different people moved in, and others moved out, it was a useful shortcut to refer to parties happening at that 3 bedroom place on the corner of Prospect and Cambridge.
The habit's fallen off, especially as some of us shifted from renting with roommates, to buying places of our own; and also as we've had fewer parties. It still left this impression in my mind that you don't name a domicile for the benefit of its residents. You name it as a reference for visitors.
posted by bl1nk at 1:24 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
The habit's fallen off, especially as some of us shifted from renting with roommates, to buying places of our own; and also as we've had fewer parties. It still left this impression in my mind that you don't name a domicile for the benefit of its residents. You name it as a reference for visitors.
posted by bl1nk at 1:24 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
'Yew Tree Lodge' is my favorite in fiction.
in the 1920s, alot of people named their autos by name. my grandmothers was 'Leaping Lena'. just found the picture.
I noticed in various places along the great lakes people would name their home in and along the shore.
posted by clavdivs at 1:28 PM on April 1, 2020
in the 1920s, alot of people named their autos by name. my grandmothers was 'Leaping Lena'. just found the picture.
I noticed in various places along the great lakes people would name their home in and along the shore.
posted by clavdivs at 1:28 PM on April 1, 2020
I'd wondered about some of the names in literature, and remember being delighted in cottage country north of Toronto as a kid that so many of the cottages had fun names. I was a little sad that ours couldn't a "Dunroamin'" or an "On the Rocks", and guess there was a class-consciousness in that choice by my folks.
I wouldn't extrapolate English class issues to any other country. They are pretty uniquely English. Most cottages around here have fun names and it's just a fun thing people do and also distinguishes properties with rural addresses and makes them 100x easier to find from the road. Most are named after animals or a local landmark or a person, nothing special.
posted by fshgrl at 1:50 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't extrapolate English class issues to any other country. They are pretty uniquely English. Most cottages around here have fun names and it's just a fun thing people do and also distinguishes properties with rural addresses and makes them 100x easier to find from the road. Most are named after animals or a local landmark or a person, nothing special.
posted by fshgrl at 1:50 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's a tradition in the US for beach houses - the ones I'm familiar with are in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Each house has a street number but also a name, usually something punny or directly referencing the ocean. I figure the tradition keeps up because it adds a little bit of fun to your already fun vacation. Or maybe it's because people name boats and naming your vacation house seems like it should happen too.
posted by PussKillian at 1:53 PM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by PussKillian at 1:53 PM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
Here in south west England there was a tradition in working class areas of naming your house after you and the Mrs, ie Kensue, Debron, you get the idea. I think it was an 80s thing that has died out now but it was always fun to spot.
posted by RandomInconsistencies at 2:45 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by RandomInconsistencies at 2:45 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
For a number of years in college, a friend rented a house called "The Yellow House" because, well, it was very yellow.
It was also on the corner of two prominent streets, so it was used as a directional market in town: "Just go on past The Yellow House for a few block" or "Turn at The Yellow House and head south".
This was tradition before he moved in and continued, I'm sure, after he moved out.
Several decades later, the house has been painted, is no longer yellow and no longer a rental, but occasionally people will give you directions that reference The Yellow House.
posted by madajb at 3:05 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
It was also on the corner of two prominent streets, so it was used as a directional market in town: "Just go on past The Yellow House for a few block" or "Turn at The Yellow House and head south".
This was tradition before he moved in and continued, I'm sure, after he moved out.
Several decades later, the house has been painted, is no longer yellow and no longer a rental, but occasionally people will give you directions that reference The Yellow House.
posted by madajb at 3:05 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
I'm pretty sure that when I was a kid, in the seventies, when these things seemed important, the unspoken rule was that a house with a number and a name was unspeakably common. A name that had been chosen by the current residents would have elicited a sad shake of the head. A house with a name only had character and history.
I recall hearing about legal battles where people tried to stop the GPO giving their houses numbers.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 3:17 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
I recall hearing about legal battles where people tried to stop the GPO giving their houses numbers.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 3:17 PM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
PussKillian: It's a tradition in the US for beach houses - the ones I'm familiar with are in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Oh interesting! As someone who grew up going to the Outer Banks I completely took this for granted. Curious now to hear if it's common everywhere else or a uniquely OBX-ian thing. To riff off of bl1nk's comment, I think this is definitely about having a reference for the visitors. We always talk about the houses we stayed at by name--so much easier to remember and form associations with than a street number.
posted by capricorn at 3:21 PM on April 1, 2020
Oh interesting! As someone who grew up going to the Outer Banks I completely took this for granted. Curious now to hear if it's common everywhere else or a uniquely OBX-ian thing. To riff off of bl1nk's comment, I think this is definitely about having a reference for the visitors. We always talk about the houses we stayed at by name--so much easier to remember and form associations with than a street number.
posted by capricorn at 3:21 PM on April 1, 2020
See, I'd like to name my house but I know it would be seen as utter pretentious wankery.
Although I do know a goth who, a few years ago, bought a house and promptly named it "Ravensdale."
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:06 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Although I do know a goth who, a few years ago, bought a house and promptly named it "Ravensdale."
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:06 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Until a few years ago
I lived in this century old apt. building in central Denver called the St. Cloud Hotel (which confused a fair amount of drunken out of town visitors looking for a place to stay). At our local watering hole & cafe (Thin Man/ St Marks) It was known alternately as the St. Crowd or Thin Manor. Use either and people would know where and often who you were discussing. It was a lovely slightly run down old girl with an interesting history. The Landlord has since sold it due to health issues and while some of the old crowd, who could afford the inevitable rent increase still live there, it's not really the same. I miss the neighborhood.
posted by evilDoug at 4:10 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I lived in this century old apt. building in central Denver called the St. Cloud Hotel (which confused a fair amount of drunken out of town visitors looking for a place to stay). At our local watering hole & cafe (Thin Man/ St Marks) It was known alternately as the St. Crowd or Thin Manor. Use either and people would know where and often who you were discussing. It was a lovely slightly run down old girl with an interesting history. The Landlord has since sold it due to health issues and while some of the old crowd, who could afford the inevitable rent increase still live there, it's not really the same. I miss the neighborhood.
posted by evilDoug at 4:10 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
One of the houses in which I grew up, in a small village in Suffolk, was called The Manor House. It wasn't the manor house and never had been. It had, however, been the manor's farm house, and some decades ago the owner had sold the farm, taken the 'farm' out of the name and added 5% to its market price.
When my parents moved from there, their next abode was called Stud House. You see, there had been this stud farm...
posted by Hogshead at 4:51 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
When my parents moved from there, their next abode was called Stud House. You see, there had been this stud farm...
posted by Hogshead at 4:51 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
As a small child, my walk to school passed a pair of houses with the fascinating names of Woonsocket and Thistledome. Much later, I discovered that Woonsocket is a town in Rhode Island, but the other name puzzled me for years. It wasn't until I was in my late 50s that I finally realised that rather than an ethereal dome filled with thistle fluff it meant "this'll do me". Very disappointing.
posted by Fuchsoid at 5:19 PM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by Fuchsoid at 5:19 PM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
My friend lived in a bizarre apartment complex with twelve buildings all together, then another fifteen down a half mile road by the back of the area.
Said friend was terrible at giving directions, and was trying to get me to an apartment in the back. She said to get on the poorly marked back road, and take the first left. Which happened to be a unlit gravel alleyway between the two sections.
I ask her if she's sure this sketchy road is the one. Yep, she's positive. Ok, I've done weirder. so I rattled down this alley at 5 miles an hour, and... Dead end in a big open field that's got a great view of the local prison, a big ditch, and barely enough room to get my Jeep out of there.
Thus Murderfield Manor was born.
posted by Jacen at 5:46 PM on April 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
Said friend was terrible at giving directions, and was trying to get me to an apartment in the back. She said to get on the poorly marked back road, and take the first left. Which happened to be a unlit gravel alleyway between the two sections.
I ask her if she's sure this sketchy road is the one. Yep, she's positive. Ok, I've done weirder. so I rattled down this alley at 5 miles an hour, and... Dead end in a big open field that's got a great view of the local prison, a big ditch, and barely enough room to get my Jeep out of there.
Thus Murderfield Manor was born.
posted by Jacen at 5:46 PM on April 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
I once mailed an Etsy order to a Unicorn Cottage, somewhere in the UK, which I assume was delivered by a badger wearing a waistcoat.
I also think it's pretty common for people in their 20s, living in a shared house with roommates, to give their place a name that might outlive any particular configuration of residents. I know it's a thing in the punk/hardcore scene -- once upon a time, I saw lots of bands while crammed into the basements of various named punk houses around DC.
(Also, proud former resident of House Of Champions v1-3, originally ironically named because we were all dealing with untreated mental illness, later versions less-ironically because we got our shit together.)
posted by nonasuch at 8:40 PM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I also think it's pretty common for people in their 20s, living in a shared house with roommates, to give their place a name that might outlive any particular configuration of residents. I know it's a thing in the punk/hardcore scene -- once upon a time, I saw lots of bands while crammed into the basements of various named punk houses around DC.
(Also, proud former resident of House Of Champions v1-3, originally ironically named because we were all dealing with untreated mental illness, later versions less-ironically because we got our shit together.)
posted by nonasuch at 8:40 PM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I have not officially named the place where I live, but any place in which I have control of the wi-fi network is going to have its net named Biteytown.
posted by egypturnash at 9:01 PM on April 1, 2020
posted by egypturnash at 9:01 PM on April 1, 2020
School children who walk by my house call it The Witch's House. One day a bunch of them were standing in front shrieking and I came out to see what was going on. A little girl saw me and proclaimed officiously, "That's not a witch—that's a PERSON!!" So maybe it's The Person's House now.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:17 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:17 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
I wonder if Wright's book touches on house-naming in Scotland & Wales - in the corner of Wales where I live, the number of Welsh-language house-names is rather higher than the prevalence of the spoken language. Perhaps the same goes for Gaelic names in Scotland.
posted by misteraitch at 11:52 PM on April 1, 2020
posted by misteraitch at 11:52 PM on April 1, 2020
For British soap fans, this has been covered humorously and absurdly in the history of number 9 Coronation Street.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:51 AM on April 2, 2020
posted by Cardinal Fang at 12:51 AM on April 2, 2020
Someone I knew lived at Tudor House, Long Itchington - which I thought was a hopelessly non-specific address until I drove into the village. Behold the house.
posted by altolinguistic at 4:14 AM on April 2, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by altolinguistic at 4:14 AM on April 2, 2020 [3 favorites]
Honestly I have a lot more questions about Long Itchington.
posted by dame at 5:12 AM on April 2, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by dame at 5:12 AM on April 2, 2020 [5 favorites]
My wife and I have always named the places where we lived. And co-ordinated the wifi password to match. First we were in Ba Sing Se (we had awful landlords and there were No Faults), password JasmineTea, then a lovely little flat called Grace Adieu (from Susannah Clarke) with the password MisandryOwls. The next flat was ground floor by a river so we called it Arbonne, not least because we wanted to keep MisandryOwls and therefore needed another canon with misandry owls in. After that we had a high-up flat with lovely double glass doors facing west, so that was Ithilian, password herbs&stew. Now we own a house! It has some pretty blue stained-glass panelling in the front door and we have named it Doriath, because that sounds like a nice place to live for hopefully a long while. (Also my wife is a huge Luthien stan.)
Obviously none of these are registered with the Post Office, although I'm working on a nice sign to put outside on our suburban terraced street. I just like living in places with names. (Grew up in the English countryside in first Little Frith, then Kiln Cottage, so didn't actually experience having just a number for an address until I went away for uni.)
posted by Cheerwell Maker at 5:45 AM on April 2, 2020
Obviously none of these are registered with the Post Office, although I'm working on a nice sign to put outside on our suburban terraced street. I just like living in places with names. (Grew up in the English countryside in first Little Frith, then Kiln Cottage, so didn't actually experience having just a number for an address until I went away for uni.)
posted by Cheerwell Maker at 5:45 AM on April 2, 2020
Our farm is called Hill Farm (I'm translating from Danish), which is ridiculous because not only is it not on a hill, there are no hills anywhere for 20 km. There are dunes, but nobody would ever build a house on a dune and anyway there is already a building called The Dune Farm which isn't on a dune or a farm, but was once a royal summer villa.
Our place was renamed Hill Farm in the 1940's (I think), from its original and far more suitable name: Troll Pond Farm. Now that's a name to love. When I took over the stewardship, I wanted to go back to the original name, but just one year earlier a new local horse breeder had taken the name, understandably. It's a genius breeders name, that's why I wanted it back. Troll Pond is good in itself, but in Danish, kær means both pond and sweet.
My daughter just sent me a letter where she didn't write my name, just the farm and the postal code.
posted by mumimor at 8:00 AM on April 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
Our place was renamed Hill Farm in the 1940's (I think), from its original and far more suitable name: Troll Pond Farm. Now that's a name to love. When I took over the stewardship, I wanted to go back to the original name, but just one year earlier a new local horse breeder had taken the name, understandably. It's a genius breeders name, that's why I wanted it back. Troll Pond is good in itself, but in Danish, kær means both pond and sweet.
My daughter just sent me a letter where she didn't write my name, just the farm and the postal code.
posted by mumimor at 8:00 AM on April 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
My parent's house (named by the previous owner who bought it as a new build in the 60s) is named Cobwebs. It backs onto woods and there are far more spiders than I am happy with.
posted by ellieBOA at 9:07 AM on April 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 9:07 AM on April 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
I also think it's pretty common for people in their 20s, living in a shared house with roommates, to give their place a name that might outlive any particular configuration of residents.
I remember in... I guess the late 80s? Before graphic web browsers at least, I used to wander around the net finding odd caches of information. One such was a bunch of proto-bloggy stuff from Caltech, in which everyone's off campus group house had a geeky name and identity. It seemed strangely glamorous to 20 year old me, stuck across the country in a lonely non-techy place.
posted by tavella at 9:31 AM on April 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
I remember in... I guess the late 80s? Before graphic web browsers at least, I used to wander around the net finding odd caches of information. One such was a bunch of proto-bloggy stuff from Caltech, in which everyone's off campus group house had a geeky name and identity. It seemed strangely glamorous to 20 year old me, stuck across the country in a lonely non-techy place.
posted by tavella at 9:31 AM on April 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
A neighbor called his house "Nomornaggin". I hope he's happy all alone there.
posted by acrasis at 3:38 PM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by acrasis at 3:38 PM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
Is the modern equivalent of this wifi network naming? e.g. 'sauerkrauter' 'pretty fly for a wifi' 'hair salon' etc?
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:27 PM on April 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:27 PM on April 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Our farm is called Hill Farm (I'm translating from Danish), which is ridiculous because not only is it not on a hill, there are no hills anywhere for 20 km.
Well, they've obviously all been harvested, and you'll have to plant some more.
posted by dng at 3:42 PM on April 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Well, they've obviously all been harvested, and you'll have to plant some more.
posted by dng at 3:42 PM on April 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
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I'm also slightly disappointed in the twee names. Naming your house seems like a tattoo. It's (fairly) permanent and hopefully reflects on something important to you as a person. It's more visible even. (I know there were plenty of bad tattoos and people who just get stuff from the book, but I got the analogy still stands).
Anyway, thank you for sharing this. This clarifies a mystery that I've pondered four years.
posted by Hactar at 10:35 AM on April 1, 2020